Goff Looks At Law Change After Shooter Identified

The
Government is considering making it illegal to identify
police officers involved in shootings, following the
publication of the name and photograph of the officer who
killed Waitara man Stephen Wallace on the web site www.advantageadvocacy.co.nz
over the weekend.

Justice Minister Phil Goff said at
today's post-Cabinet press conference that he favoured
giving courts the power to suppress the names of officers
involved in shootings while they were being investigated,
but said any law change would have to balance the right of
free speech and the right of privacy.

Mr Goff said at this point courts cannot suppress
the name of someone who is not charged with a criminal
offence, but the media has predominantly honoured a
voluntary protocol that they do not name police being
investigated for shootings.

No moves were made to change
the law last year when National Business Review and Scoop's
Sludge Report published the name of the officer who shot
Stephen Wallace, but Mr Goff said the Government had been
forced into action as www.advantageadvocacy.co.nz
has made it possible to identify the officer wherever he
lives by publishing his photograph and name.

"Regrettably
in the age of the Internet a single individual can act as
judge and jury," he said.

The police officer who shot
Stephen Wallace is still being investigated by the Police
Compaints Authority and a Coroner's Inquest. Mr Goff said
the Government believes the officer has a right to anonymity
pending the results of these investigations.

"If they're
found not to be culpable its hard to see why they should be
exposed," Mr Goff said.

The Justice Minister said it must
be enormously traumatic to take the life of another, without
being subject to harassment from the public. He said he is
also deeply distressed that the officer's wife had been
subject to abuse.

Mr Goff said in a perfect world gagging
of the press would not be necessary. "We don't live in a
perfect world. Not everyone keeps to the protocol.
voluntary restraint is always better than enforced
restraint."

He said any law change would be across all
media, but acknowledged the Government could not legislate
to prevent publication of details on overseas based web
sites.

Mr Goff said the Ministry of Justice will be
consulting with interested parties including the Police
Association and the Law society and media groups before
reporting to him giving advice on options. Mr Goff said at
that point he will put those options to Cabinet.

Mr Goff
said he expected a private member's bill drafted by National
MP Paul Hutchison would not become an issue as ACT have said
they will not support it.

Dr Hutchison’s bill would grant
name suppression to police officers involved in a fatal
shooting until the appropriate authorities had completed
their investigations.

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